The name syllables of the four padas of Ashlesha are Ḍi (डी) for the first pada, Ḍu (डू) for the second, Ḍe (डे) for the third and Ḍo (डो) for the fourth. All four padas are in Cancer (Karka), so a name beginning with these syllables has Cancer (Karka) as its name rashi. Ashlesha spans 16°40′ to 30° Karka in the zodiac; in the Vimshottari order its graha is Mercury (Budh), and its deities are the Sarpas (Nagas).
The 4 padas (charan) of Ashlesha: name letters and rashi
| Pada | Name letter | Rashi | Degrees in the rashi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | डीḌi | Cancer (Karka) | 16°40′–20° |
| 2 | डूḌu | Cancer (Karka) | 20°–23°20′ |
| 3 | डेḌe | Cancer (Karka) | 23°20′–26°40′ |
| 4 | डोḌo | Cancer (Karka) | 26°40′–30° |
Each nakshatra spans 13°20′ and each of its four padas 3°20′. To find the rashi of any name from its first letter: Rashi by name
Previous nakshatra: PushyaNext nakshatra: MaghaAll 27 nakshatras
- Order
- 9th of 27
- In the zodiac
- 16°40′ to 30° Karka106°40′–120° from the start of Mesha
- Rashi
- Cancer (Karka): all four padas
- Deity
- the Sarpas (Nagas)
- Gand mool
- One of the six gand mool nakshatras (the Ashlesha-Magha junction)When gand mool falls: dates and times
When the Moon is next in Ashlesha
- from Monday, 2 November 2026, 4:31 AM to Tuesday, 3 November 2026, 3:47 AM
- from Sunday, 29 November 2026, 11:00 AM to Monday, 30 November 2026, 9:43 AM
- from Saturday, 26 December 2026, 8:13 PM to Sunday, 27 December 2026, 6:05 PM
- from Saturday, 23 January 2027, 7:32 AM to Sunday, 24 January 2027, 4:54 AM
- from Friday, 19 February 2027, 6:36 PM to Saturday, 20 February 2027, 4:08 PM
- from Friday, 19 March 2027, 3:22 AM to Saturday, 20 March 2027, 1:32 AM
Times are Indian Standard Time; the Moon enters and leaves a nakshatra at the same moment all over India. They agree with Drik Panchang within 2 minutes. Today’s panchang
Where the lists differ
- Books and lists write the vowel of some syllables long or short (वू/वु, चू/चु). The Avakahada chakra counts अ-आ, इ-ई, उ-ऊ, ए-ऐ and ओ-औ as one, so the pada stays the same.
Ashlesha Nakshatra: questions and answers
Which letter should a name begin with in Ashlesha Nakshatra?
By tradition the syllable of the pada of Ashlesha that the Moon is in at birth begins the name: Ḍi (डी) in the first pada, Ḍu (डू) in the second, Ḍe (डे) in the third and Ḍo (डो) in the fourth. The pada follows from the date, time and place of birth; SanatanBodh’s birth panchang works it out.
What are the 4 padas (charan) of Ashlesha Nakshatra?
The four padas of Ashlesha span 3°20′ each: the 1st from 16°40′ to 20° in Cancer (Karka), syllable Ḍi (डी); the 2nd from 20° to 23°20′ in Cancer (Karka), syllable Ḍu (डू); the 3rd from 23°20′ to 26°40′ in Cancer (Karka), syllable Ḍe (डे); the 4th from 26°40′ to 30° in Cancer (Karka), syllable Ḍo (डो).
Which nakshatra comes after Ashlesha?
In the order of the 27 nakshatras Magha (10) comes after Ashlesha (9), and Pushya (8) comes before it. The Moon passes the nakshatras in this order, one after another.
Which rashi is Ashlesha Nakshatra in?
Ashlesha spans 16°40′ to 30° Karka in the zodiac (106°40′–120° counted from the start of Mesha). All four padas are in Cancer (Karka), so a name beginning with these syllables has Cancer (Karka) as its name rashi. Each rashi holds nine nakshatra padas: the 108 padas of the 27 nakshatras in 12 rashis.
What are the graha and the deity of Ashlesha Nakshatra?
In the Vimshottari order the graha of Ashlesha is Mercury (Budh), which is also the graha of Jyeshtha and Revati (Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, chapter 46). In the Brihat Samhita (chapter 98) the deities of Ashlesha are the Sarpas (Nagas).
How long is the Moon in Ashlesha?
About a day. The Moon’s speed varies, so it takes about 21 to 27 hours to cross the 13°20′, and it comes back to Ashlesha about 27 days later (our calculation, 2026–27). The moments are the same all over India.
Sources
- Name syllables: Brihad Avakahada Chakram, Nakshatra Prakarana, Shatapada Chakra verses 9–15 (archive.org); Pt. Sitarama Sharma, Ati Brihat Avakahada Chakram (1932), pp. 22–24; Drik Panchang, nakshatra pada swar siddhanta
- Nine nakshatra padas to a rashi: Pt. Sitarama Sharma, Ati Brihat Avakahada Chakram (1932), p. 26; the span of each nakshatra: Drik Panchang’s nakshatra pages (drikpanchang.com/tutorials/nakshatra/)
- Graha: Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, chapter 46, verses 12–14 (counted from Krittika: Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, Ketu, Venus), R. Santhanam’s English translation, vol. 2, pp. 507–508; Drik Panchang’s nakshatra and navagraha pages
- Deity: Varahamihira, Brihat Samhita, chapter 98, verses 4–5, English translation by V. Subrahmanya Sastri and M. Ramakrishna Bhat (Bangalore, 1946), p. 742; Drik Panchang’s nakshatra lists (Swami) and nakshatra pages
- The Moon entering and leaving each nakshatra: SanatanBodh panchang calculation (astronomy-engine, Lahiri ayanamsha); compared with Drik Panchang’s 2026 and 2027 nakshatra lists (New Delhi), every time within 2 minutes (4 October 2026)
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